Unconcerned Underarm

Lemme clarify at the beginning of this post itself that, it does hold a very relevant question for each one out there reading this post. Technically it’s a food-for-thought post and to look back into yourself. I would be extremely grateful if each one of you could spare five minutes from your valuable time for the complete reading of this post and do share the words with your beloved ones. It is a big topic which I have attempted to concise.

Every day each of us begins our day setting foot into the routine hectic schedules of our life either for education or for work. A self-obsessed regime is found in each of our lives and we set out for the day with or without a shower. Whether taken shower or not, whether going for school or office, each one of us does like/ love to apply deodorant/ antiperspirants/ perfumes to keep the sweating at bay and to remain odor free till the evening. Okay, now you might have a clue what my topic is all about the use of them. One of the major reasons why I would like to talk about this now is SUMMER is gonna start.

Our lifestyle and observant nature of the brand endorsed market has made us available to a surplus number of products with distinctive name and function.Our consumeristic nature is well exploited by the companies especially through the endorsements campaigns done by movie stars. In real life, most of these public figures may not be using any of these products. But common people are drawn towards this by the advertisements and are left to purchase them without even letting them think whether they really require it or they just wanna add one more product to their hoardings. Even for one purpose, we have too many different products. For example, to manage sweat odor, we can try a perfume with synthetic fragrances/ colors, or try antiperspirant roll-ons, gaseous/liquid ones, sweat controlling ones and what not. Now the basic question is ” What is needed? ” Different people have different body conditions which are influenced by external or internal conditions where they live. We should know our body type and it’s specific nature of requirements before choosing any product for skin application. This is mandatory for almost all the products we use in our day to day life.

Now, Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. In humans, sweating is primarily a means of thermoregulation, which is achieved by the water-rich secretion of the eccrine glands. Maximum sweat rates of an adult can be up to 2–4 liters per hour or 10–14 liters per day (10–15 g/min·m2), but is less in children prior to puberty. Evaporation of sweat from the skin surface has a cooling effect due to evaporative cooling. Hypohidrosis is a condition of decreased sweating and Hyperhidrosis is a condition of excessive sweating. People have an average of two to four million sweat glands. There are two types of sweat glands: eccrine sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands. But how much sweat is released by each gland is determined by many factors, including gender, genetics, environmental conditions, age or fitness level.Sweat is not pure water; it always contains a small amount (0.2–1%) of trace amounts of minerals (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium & Magnesium), lactic acid, and urea.

Aluminum-based compounds are used as the active ingredient in antiperspirants. These compounds form a temporary “plug” within the sweat duct that stops the flow of sweat to the skin’s surface. Some research suggests that aluminum-containing underarm antiperspirants, which are applied frequently and left on the skin near the breast, may be absorbed by the skin and have estrogen-like (hormonal) effects (3).

Because estrogen can promote the growth of breast cancer cells, some scientists have suggested that the aluminum-based compounds in antiperspirants may contribute to the development of breast cancer (3). In addition, it has been suggested that aluminum may have direct activity in breast tissue (4). However, no studies to date have confirmed any substantial adverse effects of aluminum that could contribute to increased breast cancer risks. A 2014 review concluded there was no clear evidence showing that the use of aluminum-containing underarm antiperspirants or cosmetics increases the risk of breast cancer (5).

Some research has focused on parabens, which are preservatives used in some deodorants and antiperspirants that have been shown to mimic the activity of estrogen in the body’s cells (6). It has been reported that parabens are found in breast tumors, but there is no evidence that they cause breast cancer. Although parabens are used in many cosmetic, food, and pharmaceutical products, most deodorants and antiperspirants in the United States do not currently contain parabens.

There exist a biased situation for the common people whether to believe that the usage of these products cause health risk or not. It is still not completely revealed and many a time mentioned that “more research is required in this area”. The major ingredients of concern are PARABENS, ALUMINIUM, TRICLOSAN, PHTHALATES, FRAGRANCES. You can read the related articles published in Times 2015 and 2016.

The scientific paper “Underarm antiperspirants/deodorants and breast cancer” published by Philippa D Darbre in the journal Breast Cancer Research (2009) 11 (Suppl 3): S5 describes in detail regarding this aspect and it suggests that: “If use of underarm cosmetics is a factor in the development of breast cancer, then options for prevention could, at last, become a reality through individual decisions to cease usage or through alterations to product formulations.“

It is utmost important for each one of us to check what are the chemical ingredients in the products we use in the name of keeping the body odor under control. Each one of us loves to live more with less worry about health issues. Also, let us make sure that we find eco-friendly alternatives which will cut down the waste disposal in the name of empty deodorant plastic bottles/ cans which make us contributors to environmental pollution.